I was at the store the other day and they had a different belt available. It was a little more expensive. And instead of having tape on the back like I am used to on this new one they removed a good 1/2" of sand then glued it underneath the other end. There was a little gap between where the sand was removed to the other end. So I would like to know what other joints are used for making sanding belts and what the purpose is for doing that joint. Possible benefits from a specific joint?
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
Belts joined with a butt joint and taped offer a smoother joint while a lapped joint will tend to have a bump at the joint. The lapped joint tends to be stronger though old belts come apart due to glue failure same as the taped joint does. With the improvements in tape the butt joint is preferable
-
Typical glue used in sanding belts last about a year. I've had some old belts lying around, all of them broke at the joint after less than 10 seconds of sanding. Lap joint is the way to go if you're making your own belts, but otherwise sticking with plain butt joint and keeping belts fresh should minimize breakage– Eli IserCommented Mar 19, 2018 at 16:14
-
Yeah I have experienced the joy of buying a bunch of belts and letting them get old. They would break as fast as you put them on the sander. Learned my lesson– Chuck SCommented Mar 19, 2018 at 18:37
-
@EliIser I wish there were a way to tell before you buy which belts this doesn't apply to (because cost alone is not a sure-fire determinant it would appear). I used a single belt over a period of more than 15 years before it finally snapped at the joint, so there are some very long-lasting adhesives out there that can be used to hold a belt together.– GraphusCommented Mar 20, 2018 at 13:28